


Spare The Rod, Spoil The Personal Assistant

by Pharaisia



Category: Gargoyles (Cartoon)
Genre: Discipline, Spanking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:40:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23367088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pharaisia/pseuds/Pharaisia
Summary: A collection of one-shots about David Xanatos dealing with his personal aide's attitude. It's ooc, it's silly, it's spankingly delicious!
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Attitude Adjustment

Owen Burnett made his way to his private office with quick steps, observing the employees with a cold, judging glare, making sure they were actually working at their computers instead of lollygagging.  
Being the personal aide of Xanatos Enterprises' CEO meant that he had lots of responsibilities, which meant a lot of work. And he needed to make sure that the employees would not get distracted and focus on their job.

  
He slowed down at the sound of laughter coming from the office K, the one next to his own; he stopped and turned his head to the left: two young women, two trainees, were giggling at something on their computer screen; they were so engaged in the activity, in fact, that they did not notice the blonde man entering the office and glaring down at them.

  
"Ahem."  
The two girls looked up and paled.

  
"M-mister Burnett!" One of them stood up so quickly, that she almost pushed her swivel chair to the wall; the other attempted to shut off the computer, but Burnett stopped her.

  
"Not so fast, miss Campbell." He calmly walked around the desk and looked at the screen. There was a photo of a puppy playing with his own leash; one of those silly pictures that often ended on calendars or greeting cards.  
His icy blue eyes fell over the two young ladies, who were too ashamed to look back at him, fidgeting nervously.

  
"I don't think that this is part of your job, young ladies, is it?"

  
"We're sorry sir. We were choosing a picture to print for our friend's birthday."

  
"Ah. So you believe that is a good excuse to fool around instead of doing your duty?"

  
"No, sir..." They both replied in small voices.

  
"Indeed not." Owen crossed his arms and his eyes narrowed. "Need I remind you that this company has generously given you two the opportunity to learn and develop your abilities while still being paid? And that's how you thank us? Pretty ungrateful from your part, if you ask me..."

  
The girls looked on the verge of tears, but the man didn't stop his reprimand.

  
"I was expecting two young, hard-working women. Instead, I'm presented with two bubble-headed, spoiled brats, unable to even do their work!"  
He hissed grabbing the sides of the desk.

  
"W-we are terribly sorry, sir!"

  
"It won't happen again!"

  
"I should hope so. Because, quite frankly, I think you are both an embarrassment to this company and to your families, which completely failed in raising you. I believe that they squandered their money in trying to give you any sort of education since it was clearly a waste of time!" He slapped his hand on the desk with a bang, making the two girls gasp and whimper.

  
"From now on, I don't want to see you do anything else except your job, or so help me!"  
The young women nodded, tears falling from their eyes.  
"Now get back to work."  
He said through clenched teeth before getting out of the office and slamming the door.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

David Xanatos was humming happily while walking down the hallway, directed to Owen's office. He was able to conclude business with a potential client, signing a contract worth millions, so of course he was in a good mood.  
While on his way, he heard a few sniffles coming from behind the door of office K, the one right before Owen's; usually, Xanatos wouldn't interact with his employees, but the soft crying sounds drew his attention. So he knocked and entered when a female voice said to come in.  
From the look on their faces, the young trainees didn't expect their CEO to appear, and they quickly stood up.

  
"Mister Xanatos!"

  
"Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but I heard you crying...is everything alright?"

  
No one could ever say that he wasn't kind to women. Especially if they were pretty.  
The two girls looked at each other, and then started sobbing; slightly taken aback by their reaction, Xanatos closed the door behind him and walked towards them.

  
"What happened?" He asked gently.  
The upset trainees started explaining to the CEO how mister Burnett treated them.

  
"We know we shouldn't have been *sob* looking at pictures."

  
"We're really sorry, sir, please don't fire us!"

  
David rubbed his chin, thoughtful.  
"Don't worry. If I had to fire every employee for looking at pictures while working, my company would be empty in no time. While it is true that you should've been doing your job instead of getting distracted, insulting you was completely unnecessary and rude. But do not worry, I think I know how to fix this. May I borrow that ruler?"

  
It was a forty inches long wooden ruler, sitting in a corner of the desk, wide and heavy looking.  
The girls blinked confused but nodded.  
"Uh, of course sir."

  
"Thank you. I will give it back to you very soon." He smiled charmingly, before getting out of the office.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Come in." Owen Burnett grumbled as he heard someone knocking on the door, but sat up straight once he saw mister Xanatos coming in...curiously carrying a long ruler.

  
"Good morning, Owen" David said cheerfully, closing the door behind him and walking to his assistant's desk.

  
"Good morning, sir." The blonde stood up respectfully. "To what I own your visit?"

  
"I just wanted to inform you that the contract with Fluricon has been signed. Another success." He grinned, placing his hands on the desk, the ruler under his right one. Owen eyed the tool suspisciously but returned his attention to his employer.

  
"Congratulations are in order then, sir."

  
David nodded. "Yes, it was a rather successful business I must say. Oh, and by the way Owen..." The look on Xanatos' face became suddenly serious.  
"Care to tell me why two of my employees were sobbing desperately?" He asked, pointing his index finger towards the door.  
Burnett sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his temple.

  
"Apologies mister Xanatos, I shall keep a closer eye on those two."

  
"I'm not here because two girls were searching for a birthday picture, Owen." Xanatos said while twisting the ruler in his hands.  
Burnett put his glasses back on, observing him with a quizzical look.  
David took a few steps to the side of the desk before continuing.

  
"They told me that you insulted them, calling them 'bubble-headed, spoiled brats', insinuating that their families 'failed to raise them', wasting their time and money into educating them. Is this true?"

  
Owen nodded, completely unaware of what was going to happen.  
"It is, sir." No point in lying to his boss.

  
"Mmh." Xanatos looked into his aide's eyes. "And you genuinely think that was a good way to deal with the situation?"

  
"With all due respect, mister Xanatos, I believe that strong, unyielding discipline is necessary when it comes to young trainees. I do not regret my words."

  
"Oh, you don't, do you?" The darker man smirked. "I believe that you soon will. Step in front of the desk."

  
"Mister Xanat-"

  
"Step. In front. Of the desk." His tone admitted no objections and so Burnett did as ordered.  
"Good. Now bend over."

  
At that, Owen's eyes widened and he readjusted his glasses.  
"Pardon, sir?"

  
"You heard me. Bend over the desk."

  
It would have been unwise to protest, Owen thought. Therefore, once again, he obeyed his employer's order by bending over his dark desk and crossing his arms; the position was uncomfortable in every sense.  
Xanatos stepped right next to him and pulled up his sleeves.

  
"It seems to me that you have been in need of a little...attitude adjustment lately. And as your employer, it is my duty to provide it to you, my friend."

  
"What...what do you mean, sir?" Owen asked, trying to not make his nervousness obvious.

  
"You will see what I mean in a moment, don't worry."

  
Before Burnett could ask any more questions, his rear end was smacked by the ruler. He gasped, immediately trying to stand up, but Xanatos pinned him down.

  
"SIR! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He bellowed, outraged.

  
"What? Didn't you say that strong, unyielding discipline is important? I'm simply agreeing with your point of view here." David chuckled while still smacking Owen's bottom.

  
"I'm not-OWW!-a young-AAH!-a young trainee!"

  
"No, you're definitely not. Which makes your behavior more disappointing."

  
The ruler came down over and over again, hitting the blonde's behind without hesitation. Of course, Burnett did try his best to squirm away from his employer's grip, but it was useless: mister Xanatos was heavier and stronger than him.

  
"Let me go! OWW! Let me go this instant!"

  
"Oh, I don't think I will, Owen. In fact, you will stay here for a while, so stop squirming and take your share of unyielding discipline."

Xanatos mocked him as he increased the strength of the smacks.  
Burnett simply decided to shut up and grit his teeth: if his boss believed even for a second that such a punishment would've made him cry, he couldn't be more wrong.  
After a minute, however, it became more and more difficult to keep the tears from prickling his eyes.

  
"I see we're not making any progress like this. Stand up." Xanatos ordered.  
Owen begrudgingly stood up from his position, hissing as he rubbed his poor bottom.  
David placed the ruler on the desk and quickly unbuttoned the other's pants and pulled them down, much to Owen's shock. He tried to grab them, but Xanatos swatted his hand away.

  
"You try to fight back one more time and I will keep that door open, so that anyone passing by may see what's happening!" He hissed, making Owen feel very small all of a sudden. Soon, the blonde was bent over the desk once again, both his trousers and underwear down to his ankles.  
"Much better." Xanatos said with a nod, picking up the ruler and getting back at smacking Owen's buttcheeks at an even pace.  
Owen found himself unable to keep his composure any longer, for the ruler became actually painful against his bare buttocks; he gasped and whimpered and made all sorts of pathetic noises while his employer punished him.  
Xanatos thought that it was time to step things up. Burnett started howling the moment he felt the smacks become harder and the pace faster, the ruler now also hitting his sit-spots.

"AAAH! SIR! SIR, PLEASE! OOooWWww! STOOOP!" His hand shot back, trying to protect his poor bottom; that didn't stop Xanatos, who simply took hold of the wrist and pinned it on the lower back.

  
"Hands away, Owen: you will take your punishment, and that's it."

  
"AAhaAahA! *sob* NOOO! SIR! AAH! OWWWW! PLEEEASE! OUCH! PLEASE I BEG YOU!"

  
"I told you that you would've regretted your words, didn't I?" David smirked, while still smacking the ruler against Owen's sit-spots, but with more vigor.

  
"Tell me, Owen: Are you sorry about insulting those two girls?"

  
"OOOWW! YES! OWW! I'M SORRY! AH! I'M TERRIBLY SORRY!" The blond was now crying, tears streaming down his cheeks.

  
"You will have a better attitude from now on, won't you?"

  
"I WILL! AAH! I WILL!"

  
"You won't treat others like that ever again, will you?"

  
"NOoO! AAH!"

  
"Good." Xanatos paused for a moment, tapping the ruler gently against Burnett's burgundy bottom. "Because if I hear that you were rude and snappish to someone else again, I will repeat this lesson. But In front of others. Understood?"

  
"Yes, sir..." Owen sobbed, hiding his head into his left arm.

  
Xanatos resumed the spanking, now focusing on the other man's thighs and sit-spots, which made the blonde only sob harder. The CEO gave him ten more smacks before stopping and helping Owen to his feet, pulling him in an all-encompassing hug.  
Burnett kept sobbing and to his own surprise, returned the embrace.

  
"Ssshh...it's over. You're alright now, calm down..." David gently rubbed the blonde's back in circles until he heard the cries turn to whimpers and deep breaths; then he held Owen back to look at him: the man's face was as much red as his behind, and his eyes were glossy and puffy.  
"Have you learned your lesson?"

  
Owen nodded, sniffling.

  
"Good boy." David smiled, patting his aide's back a couple of times before releasing him. "Now: I want you to pull yourself together and meet me in the hallway. You are going to apologize to the girls you so terribly mistreated."

  
"Yes, mister Xanatos..." Burnett refrained from pouting but groaned internally as he delicately pulled up his pants and underwear, hissing as the fabric made contact with his reddened skin. David chuckled and walked out of the office.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

The girls' eyes were big as saucers when they saw mister Burnett and mister Xanatos entering; they heard everything (oh yes they did), and still couldn't believe what they heard. At that point, it was pretty obvious why mister Xanatos took the ruler.

  
"Thank you for lending it to me." The CEO smiled, putting the tool back where he took it. "I believe that mister Burnett here has something to say."  
Owen cleared his throat and stepped forward. Even if he tried to maintain some semblance of dignity, like nothing ever happened, he couldn't stop the awful, burning pain over his rump.

"I wish to apologize for my terrible behavior. I shouldn't have offended you."  
The girls smirked.

  
"It's alright, sir. We should've been working."

  
"Apology accepted."

  
David nodded satisfied, patting Owen's shoulder.  
"Excellent! And now that everything is fixed, it's time to go back to work. Have a lovely day, ladies."  
The trainees giggled and blushed when Xanatos winked at them, before getting out with Burnett right behind him.  
Now they had some juicy gossip to share at lunchtime!


	2. Effective Medicine

"Owen?"  
Xanatos had been knocking at his aide's bedroom door for almost five minutes, and yet he never received a response. The moment he didn't come to remind him of the daily appointments, David knew something was wrong. After another minute spent knocking, he decided to enter the bedroom; he heard someone sneezing and having a bad coughing fit from the private bathroom on the other side of the room. A few moments later Owen Burnett stepped out carrying a box of tissues, pale as a ghost and with dark circles under his eyes; he was fully dressed for the day and when he saw Xanatos standing in the middle of the room he wobbled towards him.

  
"Apologies if I'm late, sir. I had a troubled night- *cough* *cough*-but I am now ready to start working."

He turned away and sneezed into a clean tissue.  
David frowned: even a blind man would see that Owen was in no condition of working; hell, he was barely able to stand up without tripping over for how weak he was.

  
"Owen, you're clearly sick. You need to rest, take some medicine and sleep."

  
The blond shook his head while coughing.  
"Absolutely not, I lost too much time already. I'm perfectly fine, sir, I assure you."  
Xanatos sighed and crossed his arms, observing Burnett from head to toe.

  
"I find that hard to believe. Put back on your pajamas and get to bed, right now."

  
"Mister Xanatos..."

  
"NOW, Owen."

  
The firm tone convinced Owen to go back inside the bathroom and put his pajamas on, and then put himself to bed. David thoughtfully tucked him in, being careful to snug the blankets around his shoulders; that made Owen blush slightly.

  
"Take a couple of days off to take care of yourself. I think I'll manage to survive without you babysitting me for some time. Maybe." He joked. "I'll go get some medicine for your cold and something for your throat. You stay there, okay?"

  
The darker man got out of the bedroom, leaving Owen alone.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

  
It took him a bit to find what he needed among all the medicines he owned in his cabinet, but David successfully found a few useful things: a thermometer, a cough syrup with a spoon and a decongestant for his nose, also bringing a bottle of water with him. He got back to his assistant's bedroom, only to find him work at his computer.

  
"Owen..." He groaned, placing everything on the nightstand and walking up to him. "What did I tell you?"

  
"I'm sorry mister Xanatos, but I needed to file in some reports and- Sir!"  
Without much effort, David picked the blond up and carried him over the bed, tucking him under the blankets once again.

  
"If I tell you to stay in bed, you stay in bed. Is that clear?"

  
"But sir..."

  
"Is that clear, Owen?"

  
Burnett pursed his lips, looking away in embarrassment.  
"Yes, sir."

  
Xanatos sighed heavily, annoyed by the blonde's stubbornness; he took one of the decongestant pills and the bottle, passing them to him.

  
"Take this pill and drink some water. Then you'll have a spoonful of syrup to help with your cough."

  
Owen refrained from rolling his eyes, sitting up instead and taking both medicines; he shuddered at the syrup's foul taste, immediately sipping some water to wash it down. David seemed satisfied and helped the other to lay down.

  
"Now have some rest. I better not catch you out of bed or you won't like what happens." Xanatos wagged his finger before going to the door.  
"I'll be back later to see how you're doing."

  
"Thank you, sir."

  
"You're welcome. And remember Owen: no working." The man warned before stepping out of the bedroom.

  
Owen Burnett felt humiliated in being treated like a child: he had too many responsibilities, he couldn't possibly waste his time staying in bed. It was just a small cold, after all, and he didn't feel like sleeping anyway. True, he felt a bit weak and dizzy, but he wouldn't have let something so trivial stop him. He waited a few minutes before taking his cellphone and digital notebook, setting to work.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Xanatos came back two hours later, after a meeting with the research and development department; he wondered if Owen managed to fall asleep if he needed more tissues or anything else. He wanted him to get well soon, because he may have underestimated the amount of work (but he would've never admitted that), and also because he was actually worried about the blonde's health.  
David was about to knock when he heard Owen's very rough voice from behind the door.  
"...yes, mister Xanatos will be able to receive you the seventh of November, at eight a.m. Be sure to bring all the necessary documents, please..."

  
He growled under his breath and slammed the door open.  
"OWEN!"

  
The blond's eyes grew wide and immediately interrupted the phone call; he was standing out of bed, barefoot and with his cellphone in hand.

  
"Sir, I can explain!"

  
Xanatos marched towards him, his eyes narrowed and fists clenched.  
"What do you think you're doing?"

  
"I..."

  
"Didn't I tell you to stay in bed and rest?"

  
"Yes, but..."

  
"I don't care about your excuses! I gave you a very precise order and you disobeyed: now you are going to face the consequences."  
He took a hold of Owen's wrist and forcefully dragged him towards the bed; the blond didn't have the strength to resist, so he let his boss push him on the mattress.

  
When Xanatos started to pull down his pajama bottoms and briefs, he gasped and tried to squirm away.

  
"Sir, no!"

  
"Stay still, or it will be worse."

  
"Please, don't do that! You can't!"

  
"I can and I will!"  
David managed to yank the pants and underwear down, but Owen rolled on his back in a miserable attempt to escape punishment; the darker man simply grabbed the other's ankles and raised his legs up.

  
"No! Sir, please!"

  
Xanatos firmly held Owen's legs with his left arm and without any further ado, he started swatting his bottom vigorously. Burnett could feel the unpleasant stinging sensation all over his rear end, along with tears prickling at the corner of his eyes.  
David knew how much the diaper position could make a spanking unbearable: his own father put him like this once, when he was caught smoking a cigarette. David never smoked again from that moment on.

"Ow!Ow! Oww! Sir! Ah! Please, I'm sorry!"

  
"You will be, I'll make sure of that."

David grumbled, never stopping his assault for even one moment and focusing on turning his aide's bottom cherry red.  
Owen couldn't even reach back to protect himself, so he just hid his face in his hands and hoped that the punishment would end soon; three minutes later the spanking was still going on and the blond started to cry (much to his shame).

  
"AaAAaaah! *sob* Sir, I'm begging you! *cough* *cough* Stop! Oowwww!" He could feel his behind on fire but could not see much from his rather humiliating position.

  
"After this, I guarantee that you will think twice before disobeying me again."

  
Xanatos said as he swatted the blond's sit-spots and thighs alternately, the skin now turning dark red. Owen couldn't do much but sob and cry desperately, feeling completely vulnerable under his employer's harsh hand.  
Five minutes later, the punishment ended. Xanatos let go of Owen's legs and turned him on his belly.

  
"You better stay down, or I will go fetch the hairbrush."

Burnett merely whimpered and remained in position; the CEO took the thermometer and sat next to the blonde.

  
"Since you decided to act like a child, you will be treated like one. Now hold still."

He carefully spread Owen's buttcheeks and inserted the thermometer in, which made the assistant gasp and wiggle slightly.

  
"Is it embarrassing, Owen? Is it humiliating that I had to spank you like a naughty child and take your temperature like one? Tell me."

Xanatos gave him a firm swat, making the other gasp.

  
"Y-yes, sir! Very!"

  
"You deliberately disobeyed me: do you think it was worth it?" Two more hard swats.

  
"N-no, sir!"

  
"Will I see you out of bed again?"

  
"No, sir! I promise!"

  
"And what will happen if I do?"

  
"You will spank me, sir! *sob*"

  
"Exactly. Let's hope that you learned this lesson, then."

  
Xanatos looked at his watch and waited exactly five minutes before removing the thermometer and checking it.  
"At least you don't have a fever. Good."

  
He briskly pulled Owen's pajama bottoms up and stood, pulling the blankets over him. The assistant looked exhausted and positively humbled.  
David sat next to him, passing him a tissue and rubbing his back comfortingly.

  
"There, there...you deserved this and you know it. You are sick, Owen, you need to rest if you wish to heal...the work can wait."

  
Owen blew his nose and wiped his tears, before folding his glasses and placing them on the nightstand.

  
"I know, sir, I'm truly sorry..." He murmured, rubbing his crimson bottom with one hand.

"I know you are. Now try to sleep for a couple of hours, mh?"

David started caressing Burnett's hair gently, smiling when the blonde nuzzled into the pillow and closed his eyes. He waited for about ten minutes to be sure that Owen was sleeping soundly before standing up and quietly leaving the bedroom.


	3. Reckless Behaviour

"HANDS UP! ALL OF YOU! NOW!"  
There was a commotion among the guests while three masked men made their way across the room with their guns out, pointing them towards the group of people; the guests were forced on their knees in the center of the room so that they could be watched more closely.

  
"Alright ladies 'n gentlemen, let me explain 'ya how this is gonna work: nobody moves, or else we're gonna shoot your brains off; put all your money, jewelry and other valuables in the bag, and no one is gonna get hurt, okay? Good, now start donating!" Said one of the robbers while his colleague walked among the people with an empty bag.

  
David Xanatos was playing by the rules as well (for now), but was already thinking of a plan to reach for his cellphone and call the police; he detested to call for help, and he would've been perfectly capable to take care of these clowns if there weren't other people present. He noticed that Owen wasn't with them, and he truly hoped that his aide already called the nearest police station for help. And to think that the auction was going so well just a few minutes ago...  
Everyone looked pretty surprised when one of the three robbers was sent flying to the other side of the room and crashed on the buffet table.

"What the-?" The second masked man couldn't say anything else as his wrist was twisted, forcing him to let go of the gun, and he was punched in the kidney; he coughed and fell to his knees, allowing his adversary to kick his face and send him k.o. on the floor.  
Owen may not have seemed very strong, but Xanatos was well aware of his physical abilities so he wasn't surprised to see his personal assistant knocking down two of the robbers.  
The third man held his gun high, aimed at the blonde's head.

  
"Hold it four-eyes! You better kneel down if you don't want a bullet in your head!"  
They stood there for some eternal moments, staring at each other.

  
"Owen...do as he says." Xanatos uttered calmly: he wasn't going to lose a friend for a few valuables.

  
"Yeah, that's right: listen to him, blondie. Or you will have a nice hole between your eyes." The guy wasn't joking around.

  
Owen's expression was unreadable, cold and controlled as a statue's one.  
He slightly bent his knees and looked like he was kneeling down on the floor. Instead, with a cat-like sprint, he tackled the robber and made him lose his weapon; they started fighting and rolling on the floor while Xanatos took advantage of the situation and quickly took the gun, pointing it at the robber.

  
"Step away from him. Don't think that I wouldn't shoot you just because I'm wearing a tux." David smirked.  
Seeing that his two partners were still unconscious, the robber grumbled and held his hands high; one of the guests called the police, while Owen used the tablecloths to tie the three men down.

  
Xanatos looked at him with a hard glare: they would've had a talk later, that was for sure.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

While it was true that David always appreciated some good publicity, this time he would've done gladly without it rather than risk Owen getting shot by a bunch of criminals.  
Saying that Xanatos looked angry was an understatement: the man was furious. He was sitting in the back of his limo and was already thinking of a way to make sure that Owen never did anything so reckless again.  
As they both entered the elevator of the Eyrie Building, Burnett couldn't shrug off the sensation of being in deep trouble; his mind went back to the last two times when he disappointed mister Xanatos and blushed at the memory of what happened. Maybe he could have avoided it this time if he played his cards well.

  
"Mister Xanatos..."

  
"Not a word until we're in my office."

  
Well, it seemed that he already lost the game. Owen licked his dry lips and his hands automatically went to cover his buttcheeks: he had the terrible feeling that he wasn't going to be able to sit down comfortably for a while.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"What were you thinking?"

  
Xanatos asked calmly while sitting at his desk; there was a rod of steel in his words, his eyes set on the blonde while he spoke. Owen was sitting in front of him, shifting slightly in his chair as he looked at the floor.  
"You could've called the police, get out of the building, anything...instead, you decided to go commando on those robbers, risking your life."  
Burnett remained silent.

  
"As much as I appreciated the gesture and your courage, I can't believe that you ignored my order and chose to tackle down that criminal like some sort of action hero. Did you lose your damn mind in that moment??" David slightly raised his voice. "I want you to explain to me why you took such a stupid decision, Owen. I need you to tell me that you had a plan, that it was all perfectly calculated somehow, that you did NOT take such a big risk for-"

  
"You!" Owen's reaction was a surprise. Shocking, even. He never behaved like this before, not even in the most extreme situations; David then noticed that his friend's eyes were shimmering with tears.

  
"I took a risk, yes, but it was to help you and everyone else in the room. Was I just supposed to sit down and do nothing?? I had a chance and I took it, I don't care if you don't agree with me! I'm here to serve you, which also means that my life can be put at risk if it means saving yours!" Owen said standing up and leaning over the desk. "I'm just your assistant after all, am I not?"  
The frustration in his voice was evident and David started to feel slightly guilty about his reaction. He stood up and slowly walked around the desk, the blond remained still but observed his every movement.

  
"So...if you think I did wrong, you have every right to punish me, _sir_."  
His voice had a bitter, almost sarcastic tone in it, but Xanatos decided to ignore it. Owen expected to be smacked or reprimanded in any way for his attitude...but not hugged. David Xanatos, multi-millionaire and CEO of the Xanatos Enterprises, wrapped him in a tight hug and started rubbing his back up and down gently.  
Owen felt confused overall, and kept very still and silent.

  
"You are more than that to me, Owen. You left Cyberbiotics and followed me in a moment where even my own father abandoned me... You are much, much more than just my personal assistant. You are a friend, something I never thought I could have after leaving my home. I'm entirely convinced that I would be lost without you. I'm not angry because you took action, Owen..." He sighed. "I guess I was just scared that something could happen to you."  
David pulled back and looked at Burnett: his eyes were full of tears and his jaw clenched, clearly moved by the other man's words.  
"That's why I'm going to punish you: Not because I can as your employer, but because I must...as your friend." He murmured, barely capable to keep his own emotions at bay now.

  
Xanatos cleared his throat and sat on the chair where Owen was sitting a minute ago.  
"Now let's get to business: open the top drawer of my desk."  
The blond man wiped away the tears from the corner of his eyes and did as told; he paled when, among the office supplies, he saw a short paddle made of wood.  
"Take the paddle and bring it to me, please."  
Owen took a deep breath and tried to keep his cool when he picked up the paddle, bringing it to his employer with a small pout; David found it adorable but refrained from smiling.

  
"Unbutton your pants and pull them down, underwear as well."  
Burnett sighed and slowly lowered his pants and white briefs, covering his modesty with his hands; he felt his face heat up as Xanatos helped him over his knees and tapped his buttocks with the paddle.

  
"Remember that I'm doing this because I care about you, Owen."

  
"I know, sir..." He murmured, balancing himself better over his boss' lap.

  
David wasted no more time talking and started delivering hard swats over Owen's upturned bottom; his arm raised and fell rhythmically, left, right, left, right, only leaving a couple of seconds between each whack. Burnett gasped and gritted his teeth, letting grunts of pain escape his lips every now and then, the tears already flowing freely from his eyes.  
The paddle hurt much more than he could ever imagine.  
David, from his part, remained silent and focused on punishing his employee and friend, which became pretty difficult when Owen started sobbing and pleading.

"Oww! sir- Aaah!- Sir, I beg you! *sob* I'm so sorry! OWW!"

He was oh so tempted to stop, but Xanatos wanted to deliver a very clear message, so he kept spanking Owen with the paddle, making sure to also cover his sensitive sit-spots and thighs.

  
"AaAAaah! AAH! Sir! Sir -OWWW!-please! Please, it hurts too much! Owww! Noo! *sob* Aaaaah!"

  
The assistant was bawling by the sixth minute of spanking, kicking his legs weakly and holding onto David's trousers as his life depended on it. Dozens of emotions were swirling inside of him: shame, regret, sadness, frustration and guilt were among them; he still couldn't believe that his employer actually cared about his safety, and that thought alone made him sob harder.

  
Another couple of minutes passed, the big office now filled with Owen's desperate wails as his buttocks became deep crimson, with a few purple bruises here and there; the blonde had long stopped kicking his legs, now laying limp over Xanatos' knees, crying quietly with his eyes closed.  
Finally, the punishment stopped.  
David put the paddle on the desk and carefully helped Owen to sit up; well, not sit, more like lean him over his chest. He wrapped his arms around Burnett, gently rocking him and rubbing his back soothingly.

  
"It's over, Owen. You took your punishment very well."

  
"I-I-I'm so sorry... *sob* *hic* I'm so, so sorry..."

  
"I know. You're forgiven."

  
They stayed like that for a while, Owen sobbing into David's shoulder while being comforted and rocked by the latter.

  
Once Xanatos felt Owen had calmed down enough, he stood him up and looked at him.  
"I'm sorry I had to do this, my friend, but I wanted to make sure that you never thought of doing something so careless ever again. I hope I reached my goal." He said while pulling up his assistant's underwear and trousers.

  
"Yes, sir..." Owen meekly replied, whimpering audibly when the pants touched his tortured skin.

David nodded and stood up as well, hugging the blonde once more.

  
"Now, then. It's very late, we both need to go to bed if we don't want to collapse over our desks in the morning." He chuckled, patting Owen's shoulder.  
Burnett managed to smile a little and nodded.

  
"Then off you go." Xanatos turned him towards the door and gave him a firm swat, making Owen gasp and jump forward.

  
"Goodnight, Owen."

  
"Goodnight, sir and, uhm...thank you."

  
David nodded and waited for the other to get out, before putting the paddle away. He truly hoped he wouldn't need to use it again...for a good while at least.


	4. Temper Tantrum

Owen Burnett was having a bad day.

Not only he didn't sleep well last night, but he also fell from his bed while trying to untangle from the bedsheets, his pants' zipper wouldn't get up, he skipped breakfast and missed the elevator. Once he finally reached his office, he had to read and sign a pile of documents (which took him almost three hours), and had to re-organize mister Xanatos's entire agenda.

Furthermore, his computer wouldn't work properly, his print was out of ink and his secretary still hadn't brought him his damn coffee. He even lost his new pen. It definitely wasn't a good day for Owen. He was feeling tired, annoyed, stressed and nervous, and couldn't wait for this morning to be over.

There was a knock on the door. "Mister Burnett?" A young looking girl timidly entered the office and made a few steps forward, carrying a small tray with a pot of coffee and a cup on it. "I brought your coffee, sir."

"About time." He grunted. "Leave it here and go, I'm busy."

"Yes, mister Burnett..." The young woman carefully walked towards him, but didn't notice the pen on the floor, right in front of the desk. "Ah!" The girl tripped forward, hitting the table and making the entire tray fall over the documents and Owen's suit. He jumped up and gasped when he felt the hot coffee spilling over his chest.

"Watch it, you incompetent bimbo!" He hissed and his eyes widened at the sight of all his work completely ruined.

"Look what you did! It took me three hours to sign all those documents!"

"I-I'm terribly sorry, sir! I'll clean everything up!"

"Just get out of here! Go!" He pointed to the door and the girl ran outside, babbling apologies. Owen could feel the tension and rage grow inside of him once again: without even thinking, he took the cup and threw it at the door, which smashed into pieces; then he threw the pot, the tray and most of his office supplies on the floor.

"What is going on here?!" Xanatos slammed the door open and his eyes widened from the shock. The office was a complete mess, different objects scattered around along with splashes of coffee both on the floor and desk. Owen was standing, breathing heavily and with a furious look on his face; his hair was disheveled, his jacket, shirt and tie were stained with coffee and his hands were clenching the edge of the desk.

"Owen, what in the world..."

"Get out!"

If possible, Xanatos's expression became even more shocked, his jaw dropping.

"Just get the hell out! Leave me alone!" Owen yelled. 

David's eyes narrowed and they sparkled dangerously. He stood there for a few more moments, before closing the office's door slowly. Now that he was alone, Burnett collapsed on his chair with his hands in his hair: what had he done?

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

Two hours later Owen was done cleaning up his desk and the floor, picking up the objects and throwing away what remained of the cup. He was extremely worried, and would pace back and forth restlessly. This time he really did it. Mister Xanatos would've certainly punished him, in the same way that he did whenever he behaved poorly and the thought made him rub his bottom unconsciously.

"Uhm, mister Burnett?..." Owen almost jumped when he heard the woman call for him from the other side of the door.

"Y-yes?"

"Mister Xanatos wants to see you immediately. He said that it was urgent."

The blond gulped audibly. "I...I will go right now, thank you." He fixed his jacket and tie before opening the door and walking towards the elevator.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

"Come iiiiin." Xanatos said in a singsong voice when he heard someone knocking at his door. Owen sheepishly entered his employer's office and closed the door behind him, but didn't move; he was starting to sweat slightly, his heart beating faster as he just awkwardly stood there feeling like a naughty child that was caught misbehaving.

"Aaah, Owen, here you are! Come closer, please." Xanatos was smiling, but it was an eerie kind of smile and there was a strange light in his eyes, like when he had a precise plan in mind. That look made Owen shiver.

The blond walked to the desk, unable to look at the darker man; Xanatos leaned slightly forward and interlaced his hands together, still smiling.

"How are you feeling today, Owen?" It was an innocent question, but Owen didn't like the tone behind it.

"I... I'm feeling fine, sir."

"Are you sure? Because it seemed to me that you were having a bad time before. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I just...had a very bad morning, sir..." 

Xanatos gasped dramatically. "A bad morning you say? It must have been a truly awful morning if it made you so upset. What happened to you?"

Burnett shifted his weight from leg to leg.

"I, uhm, I fell from my bed..."

"Oh dear!" 

Owen could clearly hear the sarcasm in David's voice.

"Then my zipper wouldn't get up, and I skipped breakfast, and..." The blonde started to explain in detail to his boss everything that happened to him that early morning; he hated to admit it, but he sounded like a whiny brat. 

Xanatos shook his head slowly when Owen was done.

"You poor thing. No wonder you were in such a bad mood." He slowly stood up, which made Burnett instinctively back away a few steps. "But do not worry one bit, my dear Owen. I have the solution to your problem..."

Xanatos picked up from under the desk a pink and blue shopping bag; he went towards one of the couches and started rummaging through the bag.

"Let's see, where did I...? A-ah!" The man exclaimed after finding what he was looking for. Whatever it was. Burnett couldn't see anything from where he was standing. Xanatos turned around and looked at Owen, hiding something behind his back.

"You know what, Owen? I was wrong."

The assistant blinked confused and readjusted his glasses.

"Wrong, sir?..." David nodded.

"Oh yes. Completely wrong. You see, until now I judged and treated you like a responsible, well-mannered adult..." He made a few steps forward. "But after this morning, I realized that I should've treated you like a naughty toddler who has tantrums and throws his toys around." His voice raised a little, but never stopped smiling. Owen blushed deeply.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir."

"Oh no, no, no, Owen. You aren't sorry...yet." 

David showed the other man what he was hiding behind his back, and Owen paled: it was a dark wooden hairbrush.

"M-m-mister Xanatos, please..." Owen was suddenly feeling very warm. "L-let's talk about this..."

"I think that the time for talking it's over, my friend..." David sat on one of the two couches and patted his lap.

"Come on, over my knees if you please." He said in the same singsong voice of before; Owen could already feel a few tears falling down, both out of embarrassment and fear.

"Sir, p-please..."

"Now, now Owen: either you put yourself over my lap like a good boy, or I will spank you in front of the employees. It's your choice." 

Owen whimpered and dragged his feet towards Xanatos. He was about to lay over his knees, but his employer stopped him.

"Now that I think about it...this kind of clothing is not what little boys should wear. This is how adults dress up, and we've established that you are NOT an adult." Owen fidgeted nervously. "That's why I bought you something more... appropriate to wear."

David took something else out of the bag: it was a adult sized, pastel blue sweater, with the patch of a teddy bear in the center.

"Isn't it nice? I saw it and immediately thought of you. Now, let's get rid of these clothes...awww, they're even stained with coffee." He tutted while unbuttoning the other's pants.

Owen was completely speechless and so stunned, that he didn't even try to stop David from taking off his clothes and putting the sweater over him.

"Much better. Blue really is your color." Xanatos said smirking. "And don't worry about wearing pants, you won't need them." He took Owen's hand and pulled him over his knees.

Without any preambles, the CEO started swatting the man's buttcheeks harshly, never leaving a moment of respite to his personal aide. Owen immediately started to cry out his pain.

"Aaaooowww! AAAH! Sir, please! OWW! OUCH! PLEASE, OH PLEASE! Aaaaah!" He started sobbing right away, the hairbrush doing its duty perfectly.

"Naughty, naughty boy." Xanatos started scolding after two minutes. "Throwing a tantrum and being mean to that poor coffee girl, and even yelling at me...such a brat!" The hairbrush came down again and again, mercilessly swatting Owen's already cherry red backside.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry! AAAH! OWWWW! So, so sorry! OWW!" The assistant wailed pitifully, kicking his legs. The punishment was painful, yes, but the worst thing of all was the way Xanatos spoke to him. The tone was the same used by parents when talking to little children, which humiliated him even more.

David made sure to spank Owen so hard, that he wouldn't have been able to sit down for a long time, swatting both his cheeks with equal strength. After some time, Owen was crying helplessly and blabbering incomprehensible words; the spanking was over after almost ten minutes. Xanatos put the hairbrush away and stood him up.

"Now take your very red bottom to that corner while I prepare a few things." 

Owen sobbed as he walked towards a corner of the room, praying that after this everything would be over.

But David had other plans. He emptied the shopping bag, and placed everything on the couch. A fluffy pastel yellow blanket, a stuffed bunny, a baby bottle, a pacifier, a package of adult diapers and baby cream.

"Stay where you are, I'll be right back." Xanatos got out of the office with the baby bottle in hand and shut the door. Owen rubbed his poor behind delicately, whimpering and sniffling. He brought this on himself.

A few minutes later, David came back holding the baby bottle, now filled with warm milk; he placed it on the couch and opened the pack of diapers.

"Come here, Owen." The blond obeyed immediately but froze when he saw all the baby stuff.

"W...What..."

"Lay on your back, please." Xanatos said as he patted the couch.

"Sir, please...this is too much..." Owen sniffled, feeling once again the tears stream down his face.

David narrowed his eyes and pointed at the couch. Burnett sobbed, but did as ordered without any further complaints.

The CEO raised his assistant's legs and set to work: he first spread an abundant portion of cream over the man's glowing red bottom, making him hiss and wiggle slightly; then he wrapped a diaper around the blond's waist, patting his rear end gently once he was done changing him.

"There we are: snug as a bug." David smirked, cleaning his hands with a tissue and observing an extremely embarrassed Owen, who kept weeping quietly in his hands, too ashamed to look at his employer. Xanatos pulled the blanket over the man, tucking him in with great care.

"Since you skipped breakfast, I brought you some nice, warm milk for you before your nap. Drink it all like a good boy!"

His voice was saccharine sweet,and Owen found it terrifying. David held the bottle's silicone teat to his lips, and the blond started suckling the milk, his face red as a tomato. Xanatos patiently waited for Owen to finish his milk, before taking the bottle away and giving him the stuffed bunny.

"Here's a little friend to nap with."

"Sir *sob* I'm so sorry, please..."

"Hush..." 

David put the pacifier inside Owen's mouth, which only made him whimper more. Xanatos stood up, observing his humiliated assistant with great satisfaction.

"You're adorable, Owen. I'm tempted to carry you around the building just like this and show you to everyone we come across." Burnett frantically shook his head no.

"Then you will be a very good little boy and nap. We will talk later."

David patted his aide's head gently, took his glasses and went to the desk. Owen whimpered and sobbed for a while, rubbing his diapered bottom and hugging the stuffed bunny; in the end he fell asleep on his belly, exhausted.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

David waited exactly two hours before waking up Owen; he almost felt sorry to interrupt his peaceful sleep, but they needed to talk.

"Owen?...Owen, wake up."

The other murmured something and slowly opened his eyes. Oh. So it hadn't been a nightmare. Xanatos took the blond by his armpits and sat him in his lap, hugging him tightly.

"Your punishment is over. How do you feel?" He asked while pulling out the pacifier from the other's mouth and giving him back his glasses.

"Mortified, sir..." Owen sighed sadly. "I promise, I will never behave like that again."

"I sure hope so. This time you truly crossed the line."

"I'm sorry..."

David nodded and patted his friend's back soothingly.

He cuddled Owen for a few minutes, kissing his forehead and rocking him back and forth; after everything that happened, the assistant gladly accepted the affection and put his head on his employer's shoulder, sighing wistfully.

"Alright then, you may change back into your clothes now."

Owen quietly stood up and took off the sweater and the diaper, putting his normal clothes back on with great relief.

"I see that you are having troubles gaining enough hours of sleep. So from now on, I want you to take a nap every afternoon."

"But sir-"

"No complaining, Owen. You need more rest. We wouldn't want you to have another tantrum, would we?"

Burnett blushed and shook his head.

"Good, then it's settled. You may go now." 

Owen was about to get out of the office, but then he walked back towards Xanatos and hugged him.

"I'm very sorry, sir. I'll never do it again."

David smiled, rubbing his back fondly.

"I'm sure you won't. Otherwise I'll make you wear a diaper and that sweater for an entire day."

Owen pouted and hid his face in Xanatos' shoulder.


	5. Bitter Taste

Owen had been unbelievably busy lately. Xanatos Enterprises needed to produce, present and sell their newest product before Cyberbiotics at the end of the month. 

That of course meant doubling up his working hours, sometimes even staying awake at night; he wasn't alone in this, for Mr. Xanatos never abandoned him if there was a great amount of work to do. Many people believed that Mr. Xanatos was just a spoiled and arrogant businessman, who gladly let his employees do all the job while he had fun elsewhere.

Those people were very wrong in their assumption.

David Xanatos had always been a meticulous, hard-working person, a true self-made man; in fact, he would stay up late and work side by side with Owen, reminding the blond man to take a break from time to time. Burnett would say yes but without actually taking any breaks.

He would often skip his meals to make sure that the documents were signed and sent on time or to organize an important meeting between Mr. Xanatos and the CEO of another company. In the end, after two weeks of pushing himself to the limit and not eating enough to sustain his body, Owen fainted in the middle of the hallway while following Xanatos to his office.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

"I can't believe that you fainted because you didn't eat enough."

David scolded as he looked down at his personal assistant with a hard glare.

Owen was feeling better after being visited by a doctor and getting an I.V. along with a few hours of complete rest (which he found absolutely annoying and unnecessary). He was now sitting in his own dining room with his employer lecturing him about the importance of proper nutrition, feeling like a six year-old that didn't eat his vegetables.

"I even told you to take breaks, but you clearly didn't since you suddenly blacked out in the corridor just like that. I thought we already went through this, Owen: you need to take care of yourself. Did you nap these past afternoons at least?"

Owen shuddered at the word 'nap' and blushed deeply, shaking his head. David took a long, deep breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Unbelievable..."

"With all due respect, Mr. Xanatos" Owen started, his tone stoic as usual. "This project was far too important. I simply chose to collect some extra hours from my own free time to make sure that everything could go as planned."

"But I specifically told you to take breaks and rest. I ordered you to have a nap every afternoon and you didn't. I'm not sure why you keep ignoring my orders Owen, but I'm going to solve this once and for all. Stand up."

Owen gulped: he knew this was coming and there wasn't much he could do to avoid it. The assistant stood up and clasped his hands behind his back, waiting for more instructions. David took one of the table's chairs and placed it in the middle of the room.

"Pull down your pants and underwear, then bend over the back of this chair. I'll be right back." He walked out of the dining room and left Owen alone. Burnett sighed as he did as ordered, pulling down his trousers and briefs and getting into the requested position.

He knew he shouldn't have disobeyed Mr. Xanatos' orders, but he couldn't keep up wasting his precious time to take a nap every single afternoon; that was preposterous, as much as being costantly scolded and punished like a child. Alright, he admitted that last time he may actually have deserved to be treated as such, but not this time. He was free to make his own choices if they regarded his personal health and private time. Owen scowled: no, not this time. He was not going to get spanked like a brat for skipping a couple of meals; he straightened and pulled back up his pants, crossing his arms as he waited for Xanatos to come back. 

Ten minutes later, David entered the living room, hiding something behind his back; he frowned upon seeing Owen standing next to the chair.

"I thought I ordered you to bend over."

"I'm sorry Mr. Xanatos, but I will not do such thing." Owen said while pushing his glasses up his nose, lifting his head in a haughty way. Xanatos merely raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"Really?"

"Yes. I will not let myself get punished in such a humiliating way simply because I skipped a few meals and refused to take naps. I'm not a child, sir. I will not stand for it."

Xanatos narrowed his dark eyes and walked calmly towards Owen. "So you are saying that you don't deserve to be punished?"

"Exactly, sir."

"Because you are not a child?"

"Correct."

David nodded, pursing his lips in thought. 

"I see. So refusing to eat your food and not wanting to nap is not childish behavior? Because this is precisely what you did, Owen."

Burnett gulped: he realized that his boss was right and he didn't like it.

"And, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't know any adults that choose to disobey a direct order from their employer. In fact, if I remember correctly, this is something that one would expect from children."

Xanatos made a few more steps forward, until he was just a couple of inches away from Burnett's face.

"Are you sure that you aren't a child, Owen? Are you sure that you absolutely don't deserve any punishment at all?" He asked in an ominous, low voice.

Owen leaned back slightly, mostly because his employer was towering over him. "I...perhaps..."

"What's wrong, Owen? Where's all that attitude you had just a few minutes ago?" 

Burnett gulped again, more audibly this time.

"I will ask again: are you sure that you don't deserve any punishment for your childish behavior?"

It was a rhetorical question, Owen knew that, but he also was fairly sure that Xanatos wanted an answer.

"I...I admit that I may..."

"Yes?"

Burnett licked his sudden dry lips and cleared his throat.

"I may deserve some... punishment. But sir, it doesn't have to be a-"

"I'm quite sure that a spanking is exactly what you deserve. And that's exactly what you are going to get."

David moved his hands from behind his back and Owen saw what the CEO had been hiding until that moment: a wooden spoon. He paled visibly.

"M-Mr. Xanatos..."

"I was going to just give you ten swats with this and do the rest of the spanking with my hand. But apparently I will need to use it throughout the whole punishment."

David tapped the chair with the spoon. 

"I will give you two options, Owen: One, you pull down your pants and underwear, bend over this chair immediately and get what you deserve. Two, I drag you by your ear all the way to the kitchen and spank you in front of the entire staff. They weren't exactly happy to see their finely cooked dishes being sent back to them. They felt rather offended, and they had every right to be. So, what do you choose?"

David had barely finished asking his question when he saw Owen hurriedly bend over the chair with his naked bottom exposed. He smirked.

"Ah, I see you picked the first option. A wise choice."

Xanatos chuckled as he placed himself next to the chair and pulled up his sleeves. Owen groaned internally and braced himself for the spoon: no doubt this was going to hurt. 

His expectations were not disappointed (sadly) when the wooden kitchen tool hit his rear with a loud smack. He gasped and jumped up right away, rubbing the point where the spoon landed hard; he turned around and looked at Xanatos in bewilderment.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" David chuckled again. "Bend over the chair, that was only the first of many."

Owen tried not to pout or whine as he went back in position, this time holding onto the chair's edges with slightly more strength than necessary. David raised his arm high again and began what Owen could only describe as an assault over his poor bottom: every smack delivered felt like a hot pan on his sensitive skin, over one cheek first then the other, hitting mercilessly and with barely any pause between each smack. Owen did try his best to not stand up, resolving to squirming and making some kind of dance on the spot, hissing and gasping with every single swat; Xanatos wasn't shy in using the spoon and made sure to cover all of his assistant's behind, now becoming cherry red.

"AH! Sir, I -OW!- I apologize, please! AAH! OWW! Please, stop!" Owen tried to sound like he was reasoning with his employer instead of pleading him.

Alas, his words were completely ignored by David, who dutifully and silently kept smacking the other's buttcheeks rhythmically. Owen quickly realized that he wouldn't have been able to win this battle. Not that he ever had any chance at all to begin with. Three minutes later, the blond man was actually howling in pain. Particularly when Xanatos started focusing on his thighs and sit-spots. His rear was literally on fire and the same color of a sunset, throbbing painfully after every smack.

"M-Mr. Xanatos! OWWW! AAAH! NO! AH! Please stop! STOP! AAH!"

"And why would I do that, Owen? I don't think that you have learned anything at all."

"NO! AH! I learned! I learned! OOOWWW!"

"And what did you learn? Let's hear it." David stopped spanking him and waited. Owen sobbed miserably, but was glad for the pause.

"I learned that I have to follow your orders, sir."

"Good. What else?"

Owen blinked, trying to figure out what his boss meant. He cried out when David smacked him three times with the spoon.

"What else, Owen? Why are you in this position, getting spanked like a naughty child?"

Burnett could feel his face on fire as more tears wet his cheeks and clouded his vision.

"B-because I behaved like one!"

"Exactly. Will you behave like a brat again?" A loud swat, with his hand this time but it hurt Owen nonetheless.

"N-no, sir!"

"And will you take better care of yourself from now on?" Another swat, harder than the other.

"Yes, sir!" Owen sobbed.

David considered for a moment, taking a deep breath and swatting Owen ten times before stopping. The assistant cried out in pain with each slap.

"Stand up."

Owen gladly obeyed that order, straightening himself and rubbing his bright red rump. A few whimpers escaped his lips, but he couldn't help it. Xanatos took him by his shoulders and marched him towards the end of the dining room, placing him in a corner.

"You will stay here with your hands over your head, until I tell you to come out. Move without my permission, and you will have a taste of the spoon again." David said calmly before walking back to the chair and sitting on it, watching Owen with his arms crossed.

The blond man, between the pain and the indignation of it all, started crying quietly; he had disappointed Mr. Xanatos again, and was now paying the price of his own stubbornness. His bottom was burning, but he did not dare moving a single muscle as he grimly watched the limited space in front of him in silence. Xanatos didn't even let him pull up his briefs and pants, leaving his behind exposed.

The humiliation was unbearable.

After a minute or two, there was a knock on the door. Burnett gasped and hurriedly grabbed his trousers, ready to pull them up, but Xanatos quickly reached out and swatted him several times with the spoon.

"AAAH! Sir, please!"

"Back into position Owen." David scolded, pointing at the corner.

"But, Mr. Xanatos-"

"Would you prefer another session with the wooden spoon?"

Owen blushed and shook his head, begrudgingly turning back to the corner with his hands over his head, sulking and sniffling. David nodded once satisfied, before walking to the dining room's door and opening it.

"Ahh, chef Rossi please come in."

Owen's eyes widened and felt his face even warmer when with the corner of his eye he saw Xanatos' personal chef entering the room. It was a woman with dark blond hair and brown eyes, carrying a big tray covered by a silver lid. She slightly bowed and gave David a smile, placing the tray on the table along with a bottle of water, a glass, a napkin and silverware.

"Good evening, Mr. Xanatos. I brought dinner for Mr. Burnett, as you requested." She smirked in seeing the assistant in the corner, who looked downright miserable and absolutely humiliated.

"Wonderful, I assure you that he will eat everything this time. Thank you, Ambra."

David gallantly kissed the woman's hand, making her giggle.

"Oh, _signor_ Xanatos, you are a real gentleman." She bowed again and finally got out of the room.

"You may come out of the corner now, Owen. Pull up your pants, come sit at the table and eat your dinner."

Burnett did as told, wiping away his tears with his handkerchief before dragging his feet to the dining table. He didn't sit on the chair, though. Xanatos narrowed his eyes at him, his hands going on his hips.

"What did I just tell you about being obedient?"

"But sir..."

"I told you to sit down, and you better do that. Otherwise..." He took the wooden spoon in his hands again, tapping it against his palm menacingly. Owen gulped and sat down as delicately as possible, whimpering and shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Good. Now it's time for dinner, and you will eat everything on your plate."

Xanatos placed the tray in front of Owen and lifted the lid. The chicken stew looked and smelled delicious and while Owen appreciated the wholesome food, he could barely enjoy it with all the pain in his bottom and thighs. Still, he managed to eat everything under his employer's watchful gaze.

"Excellent. Now, that wasn't so hard was it?" Xanatos smirked and Owen felt his face becoming very warm, as much as his buttcheeks.

"Brush your teeth, put on your pajamas and go to bed. Early dinner, early bedtime, that's part of your punishment."

Owen merely nodded as he stood up and walked to his bedroom. A pout formed on his lips, making him feel even more like a child.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

Once Owen was laying down in bed on his stomach, David tucked him in and rested one dark hand over his assistant's back, slowly rubbing it in circles. The other was silent and wouldn't look at the CEO. Xanatos sighed.

"I'm a man who isn't afraid of anything in this world, and I'm proud of that. But the moment I saw you fall over the floor...I felt scared. The doctor said that the fainting was caused by malnourishment. I felt guilty. Because I knew that I should've kept an eye on you these past weeks, but I didn't. You always strain yourself so much, always putting work before yourself, before your own health... please, Owen. Don't you ever scare me like that again."

His words were hushed, but the assistant could hear everything clearly. He sat up, ignoring the awful sting, and looked at his employer. His friend. Owen couldn't control the tears rolling down his face.

"I'm sorry, sir...I will be more careful."

David smiled and pulled him into a hug. "You're forgiven, Owen."

Burnett let himself being wrapped by the darker man's arms, closing his eyes and sighing wistfully as he returned the hug. They stayed like that for some time, David gently patting Owen's back and shoulders; it didn't take long for the blond man to fall asleep, tired beyond measure, yes...but peaceful. Xanatos chuckled softly and carefully laid him on the bed again, snugging the blankets around his shoulders before standing up.

"Goodnight Owen."


End file.
